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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · wind · safe · deal · march · craft · season · cold

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — music
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. craft — boats
  22. deal — to handle
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com